Rope-clamp.



No. 680,481. Patented'Aug. 13,1901;

L FUBMAN 1 ROPE CLAMP.

(Appl 21 nfiled Ap 22 1901\ (No Model.)

ZVMWVENTOR A TTORNE K UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE.

LEHUEL FURMAN, OF BAY CITY, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO OF SAMEPLACE.

RO PE-C LAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,481, dated August13, 1901.

Application filed April 22, 1901.

T0 to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEMUEL FURMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bay City, in the county of Bay and State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Rope-Clamps; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates'to new and useful improvements in rope-sockets,consisting in certain means whereby I produce a ropesocket that not onlyclamps the rope, but is adapted to tighten it by twisting; and itconsists, further,in certain details of construction for purposes to beset forth.

The clamp is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure1 is a part sectional View of a guypost with the clamp attached. Fig. 2is a part sectional view of the clamp. Fig. 3 is a top view. Fig. 4 is abottom view. Fig. 5 shows the parts of the clamp detached, and Fig. 6 isa perspective view of a key.

As is clearly shown in the drawings, the device consists in an outertubular shell 1 and two tapered clamping-keys 2. The upper end of thetubular shell is made in the form of a square or hexagonal nut l and hasa laterally-projecting flange 1 The remaining portion of the shell iscircular in cross-section. Extending longitudinally throughout thelength of the shell 1 is a tapered slot having parallel sides, the edgesof said slot being formed by V-shaped grooves 1, which are of the samecross section throughout their length, but converge toward each otherfrom the head to the opposite end of the shell 1. The keys 2, which areduplicates, are cylindrically concaved lengthwise their inner faces, andtheir outer faces slide lengthwise the slot and fit the V-shaped grooves1.

The rope to be clamped is placed between the keys 2, which partiallysurround it by their concaved inner faces. The keys are then slid intothe slot of the shell 1, their sides fitting the sides of the slot andtheir tapered V-shaped outer faces sliding in the V-shaped grooves ofthe slot. The tapered keys thus have a uniform bearing through- SerialNo 56,930- (No model.)

out their length both upon the V-shaped grooves of the shell and alsoupon the rope. The farther they are drawn into the shell by the pull ofthe rope the tighter they clamp it. The adjacent edges of the two keysare separated by a clearance-space 2, so that the same pair of clampswill suit ropes of different sizes. Since the sizes of the keys 2 arestraight and parallel, corresponding to the straight parallel sides ofthe slot, it is impossible for either key to rotate and bind eitheragainst the adjacent edge of the other key or against the sides of theslot, as would be the case if the keys were made of semicylindricalsection. By my construction the only movements permitted the keys are alongitudinal sliding movement along the slot and the clamping movementtoward or from each other as they move into or out from the slot 1.Notches 4 in the outer edges of the keys are provided to facilitateremoval of the keys by prying with a chisel or similar tool. When it isdesired to tighten the rope, the clamp being secured to a post or othersupport, as in Fig. 1, it is only necessary to rotate the clamp axiallyin its seat in the post by means of the head 1 thus twisting the ropeand shortening it. The flange l prevents the shell from pulling throughthe opening in the support and afiords ample bearing-sur face. By itsfriction upon the support it prevents the rope from untwisting; but toassure additional safety against untwisting I provide one or moreopenings 1 through the flange for nailing or screwing it to the support.To secure the ends of a rope by means of this clamp, the rope ispreferably cut off near the clamp and a tapered metal pin or key 3 isdriven into the end of the rope between the keys 2, as shown in Figs. 2and 5.

By the means above described I have produced a rope clamp and tightenerthat is simple in construction, having only three parts, none of whichnecessitate drilling or other machine-work. The same pair of keys willclamp Various sizes of rope, and when in place they cannot turn so as tointerfere with each other.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. A rope-clamp comprising in combination a polygonal nut having aflange at its base and having a cylindrical shell projecting below theflange; an opening extending through said nut and shell, having two fiatparallel sides of decreasing width, and two converging sides ofsubstantially V-section; a pair of tapered keys having inner facescylindrically concaved and outer faces of V-sectionadapted to slidablyengage the converging sides of the opening.

2. A rope-clamp comprising in combination a polygonal nut having aflange at its base provided with openings 1 and having a cylindricalshell projecting below the flange;

